EU: Destroyer Of Nations

I don’t think that’s too melodramatic a title for this post. The EU is a parasite, sucking the life-blood from independent sovereign nations and appropriating control to itself.

Ex-Maoist Barroso’s “communication” to the European Parliament makes it clear that the Commission is pushing ahead with plans for direct taxation, open borders and meddling in North African affairs, although, these days the EU refers to North Africa as the Southern or South Mediterranean). It’s that good old Fabian tactic of break down, re-label, re-mould.

That’s quite a few countries for the task force of representatives from member states, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development to meddle in. It will keep them busy for a few years as they find ever more ingenious ways to syphon off European taxpayers’ money in the form of “aid”.

As for the proposed Financial Transaction Tax, I suppose this is a ploy to take advantage of people’s antipathy to bankers and their bonuses. I haven’t seen anything yet to suggest this proposed tax will be restricted to banks – what about ex-pats abroad who transfer regular monthly sums or holiday-makers who withdraw cash from ATMs abroad. This so-called Robin Hood tax will also directly impact on the City of London which, like it or not, contributes around £14bn pa to the Treasury and swells the public purse. The FTT will be used by the EU to off-set the budgetary contributions currently made by member states and which has been the source of a great deal of animosity lately.

“People are behind it, Parliamentarians are behind it – a Robin Hood Tax would surely be the most popular tax in history. It’s time European leaders turned this opportunity into reality,” said David Hillman, a spokesperson from the Robin Hood Tax campaign in the UK.

Barroso has also proposed scrapping the rule that immigrants should claim asylum in the first country they land in or be sent back to the first EU country they entered. This is an area where QMV applies so Britain, assuming it votes against, will more than likely be out-voted. I haven’t actually noticed the British authorities taking advantage of this rule anyway so we probably won’t see much difference.(It’s worth noting that Darling’s excuse for signing up to the EFSM last May when we were between governments, was that it was a QMV decision and we would be out-voted anyway, therefore he voted ‘for’ rather than abstain. He thus ensured Britain would be party to any bail-outs, potentially including Spain, until 2013).

Many people are suggesting it would be an idea to change the welfare system to avoid paying benefits to those who haven’t contributed to the system but this would be against EU rules in practice and could lead to censure in the European Court. Cameron has already shown he doesn’t have the stomach for a fight.

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."